Archive for October, 2015

I read this story from The Bergen Record and it really disturbed me. In fact, it made me furious!

There were 2 little girls in a family and their mother lets them adopt a puppy and kitten every six months or so. The cruel, heartless mother then decides that she can’t take care of the animals anymore and takes them back to the shelter. She does this when the girls are at school! She hurts both the girls and the poor innocent animals! This situation has happened at least two or three times in the past few years. In addition to the pain that she causes the girls after they get attached to the pets, the animals are in pain too because they also get attached to their new home. Shelters allow pets to be returned but no shelter should continue to let someone adopt who has a history of relinquishing animals back after a few weeks. Shame on this selfish,inconsiderate, cruel mother. Are people really going crazy????!!!!!

If your dog has long hair and if you don’t have time to give him regular baths, you may want to take him to a groomer on a regular basis. When choosing a groomer, first ask about their experience.

How long have they been in the dog grooming business?
What kind of training did they receive? Are they certified by NDGAA or another organization?
Do they specialize in any breed size or particular breed of dog? Are there any restrictions on the types of dogs they work with?
Ask about their level of service like cleaning your dog’s ears, checking his anal glands etc. Find out whether or not their fees are within your budget.
Safety is very important. I would ask the following questions.
Do they use a hand held dryer or a cage dryer? (I would prefer a hand held). If they do use a cage dryer, find out if someone always stays with the dogs. If they don’t, I would go elsewhere.
Do they sedate the dogs for grooming? If so, who does it and what type of training do they have?
Where do they keep the dogs when they’re not being groomed or waiting to be groomed?
What happens in an emergency or if your dog is injured? Is there a veterinarian on call or does someone have first aid training?
How is their record keeping? Do they keep complete records like medical, vaccinations and grooming history?
All of these things are important to consider when choosing a groomer.
After his first grooming session, give your dog a dog treat and lots of love! Remember, your pets count.

As your cat get older, he may develop health issues that you may not be aware of. Always check for changes in his appearance and habits. Don’t take them for granted. For instance, if your cat eats more than usual, and is still loosing lots of weight, he may have hyperthyroidism. This disease is very treatable if caught early enough. If you notice that your cat is drinking more than usual, he may have diabetes. It is much easier to notice changes in your cats behavior or appearance if he’s indoors all the time. Have your cat checked if you notice any changes in appearance or behavior. Many older feline diseases are very treatable if they are caught early enough.

Yeast infections in dogs are usually found in the skin and ears. They are caused by an organizm called Malasezzia pachydermatis. This condition only appeared on the dermatology scene about ten years ago but it may have been around much longer. Yeast infections exist in many dogs but sometimes never does any harm. It’s considered a secondary pathogen if it’s in the dogs ears but is considered a primary pathogen if it’s in the dogs skin. A predisposing cause will change it from a harmless condition to an itchy, relentless problem. Many times dogs suffering from Malasezzia will have skin lesions or sores. They can be isolated or all over the dogs body. The sores are usually red and are accompanied by areas of increased pigmentation, scaliness or greasiness. This scaliness and greasiness with a yellowish tint indicates that malasezzia is probably the problem.

If you notice any of these symptoms, take your dog to the vet who will prescribe medication to help control and eradicate the condition.

A few years ago, my older cat Mollie and I were out on the porch. I was at my computer and Mollie was lying comfortably on a rug. Mollie began to get up and seemed not to be able to get her balance. She flopped over to one side and had trouble standing. Of course, I panicked (it’s something I do best !) . I jumped up and picked her up and brought her inside. She still was a bit unstable but quickly recovered and walked over to her bowl to get something to eat. I’m watching her closely. Cats can be prone to vestibular syndrome which I think may have been the case with Mollie. The root of the problem can be caused by changes involving the peripheral vestibular system which is lies deep within the inner ear. Fluid in the inner ear can cause the ear canal to become inflamed creating balance problems. So far nobody has been able to confirm a single common caused for this problem. According to cat heath.com, some cats may cry out, roll around, have a head that tilts way off to one side, eyeballs that oscillate back and forth, may lean against walls or furniture, fall down, and seem “out of it”. Sometimes if both ears are affected, the head may not be tilted much and kitty may not want to move at all. The affected cats most certainly are as puzzled as we are.

If this happens to your cat, watch her closely and if she doesn’t recover fully right away, take her to an animal clinic or your vet. I would also call your vet anyway to be on the safe side. When these things happen to our pets, we become very concerned because they can’t tell you how they are feeling after the incident.

Remember, your pets count!

Check out these great internet radio stations! Just click and bookmark!

It’s estimated that around 20 million pet owners will dress up their pets for Halloween. So what are the most popular costumes for your pets this year? It turns out that bumble bees, pumpkins, and superheroes ranked the highest among popular pet Halloween costumes.

When purchasing a Halloween costume, make sure that it will fit your pet properly. I would rather the costume be too loose than too tight. Make sure that your little friend is comfortable. Also check to ensure that there are no restrictions around your pets neck. Keep your pet on a leash at all times and have a wonderful Halloween with your best friend!

Fatty foods taste good, even to a cat who’s a finicky eater. If a cat has a diet that’s too high in fat, he could gain weight and become obese but that doesn’t mean that you should avoid feeding fats to your cat. If fact, fats are a very important part of your cat’s diet. Fats give your cat the energy he needs throughout his day and helps keep his coat soft and shiny. Fats also help your cats body absorb important vitamins such as vitamins A, B, D, and K. So check the label om your cats food. By law. it has to state the fat content. Talk to your veterinarian to determine what fat content is best for your cats age, health and overall activity level.

Anti freeze, the fluid that makes your car run better in both summer and winter is very dangerous to your pet. Ethylene Glycol is the anti freeze that is commonly used in car radiators and this is extremely toxic to pets. As little as one tablespoon can kill a cat and a couple of ounces can kill a dog. Animals will ingest it because it smells and tastes so sweet. If you have pets, it is vital that you clean up any leaking anti freeze. If you’re worried that you pet may have ingested some, don’t waste any time. Call your veterinarian or the National Animal Poison Control hot line right away! Your veterinarian may suggest that you administer hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting. Don’t administer any pet medication on your own. This situation is out of your control just get your pet to a vet as soon as you can!!

Remember, your pets count!

Try these great radio stations. If you like alternative, here’s a secret. There’s a great alternative station on our network. THUNDER ROCK 101. Check it out and enjoy!

Great uptempo bright hits from the 60’s 70’and 80’s try MOVIN EASY NET RADIO. You won’t be able to turn it off!

Music that you won’t hear anywhere else. Great popular standards on STARLITE 365!Listen and set a preset!

Most Fridays when I get home from work, we head down to our home in Delaware. My two cats somehow know the schedule. They try to hide or stay out of sight. Our trip takes about 4 hours and 15 minutes (without major traffic). Every time, I make the turn onto our street my cat Millie meows as if to say “we’re here!” Cats do have a sense of timing.They are good at duration. So they know about what time, I should be turning onto our street here in Delaware. They are not good at time measurement. They is why daylight savings time can throw them off. They expect their dinner at a certain time but cannot tell that the time has changed and will be waiting by their bowls sooner or later They are good at schedules which have clear, cat-recognizable, cues. We can be amazed that our cats are ready at the door when we come home, but their hearing is much better than ours. They can recognize our car before it pulls into the driveway.They are good at waiting when they have plenty to occupy them. Just as our own perception of time passes faster when we are enjoying ourselves, so cats will get into less mischief while we are gone if they have plenty of different diversions.
They are bad at being bored because, just like small children, if they are not interested, time stretches on forever. We might come home sooner than we expected, only to find that our cat has already been misbehaving. Let’s just say they know nothing more interesting is going to pop up.

A puncture wound is exactly what it sounds like. It’s an injury that is deeper than it is wide. In pets, puncture wounds are often caused by bites or objects such as sticks, metal or glass. If your pets gets a puncture wound, check his overall health to see if it’s an emergency. Make sure that he’s not in shock, breathing heavily or bleeding profusely. Then take him to your veterinarian for an exam. Your pet may need a tetanus shot or rabies booster. Puncture wounds also need to be kept clean so that they are free of infection. An abscess can form if the skin heals over the wounds sealing in an infection. So if the area is tender, smelly or oozing pus, call your veterinarian. Your pet may need antibiotics. Never try to administer any pet medication without the advice of a vet.